


Hymns

by Zaypay



Series: Adventure Across Lifetimes [5]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Angst, Bonding, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Study, Check the warnings, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Happy Ending, How much Sky and Time angst can I fit into one fic?, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Sky (Linked Universe)-centric, Time (Linked Universe)-centric, We'll get there, eventually, it takes a bit for the comfort though
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:47:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28377180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zaypay/pseuds/Zaypay
Summary: “Wait,” Time said, stopping the young man in his tracks. He still didn’t know why anything was happening, why the goddess had sent him and Sky away from the others. If he wasn’t intended to kill monsters there, then what was the point? “What am I supposed to do?”The smile didn’t leave his face as he responded. “Forgive, Hero, and live. You cannot do the latter without first forgiving.” He tapped his cheek and forehead. “Don’t let anger guide you, but do heed its advice. Age hardens a blade, and love tempers it.“....ORTime and Sky talk things out while going on a short adventure together across time. By the goddess's will, of course.
Relationships: Sky & Time (Linked Universe)
Series: Adventure Across Lifetimes [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2005027
Comments: 23
Kudos: 85





	1. Temple Andante

**Author's Note:**

> Ayo new work, let's do this.
> 
> Warnings will be given at the beginning of each chapter if necessary. Please check them before reading.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's always harder to start a journey than to finish one

The portal appeared as usual, with little to no warning and just a little off the well-trodden path. Time and Sky sighed simultaneously as it made its appearance, with the former glancing around at the other heroes' strange nonchalance at their least favorite sight.

“Something wrong Time?” Twilight asked from his side, peering at his mentor’s face with light concern.

“There’s a portal just up ahead.”

That statement got him funny looks from nearly everyone. “There’s nothing there but trees, you sure your vision’s alright?” 

“You seriously don’t see the portal?” Sky interjected. “It’s right there, same as always.”

Time sighed as he listened to the group devolve into debates and chatter about what that meant. He cleared his throat, grabbing everyone’s attention, before speaking. 

“If only Sky and I can see it, then it must only be for the two of us. I...” he trailed off, gazing at the portal for a moment. “I don’t want us to be separated, but it seems we have no choice.”

“Can’t we just ignore it?” Warriors suggested.

“It wouldn’t make sense for the goddess to just divide us like this,” Hyrule mumbled.

“When does she ever make sense,” Legend grumbled. Time stopped himself from humming with a few of the others in agreement.

Sky stepped to Time’s side. “You all know we can never just ignore these, they always find us in some way or another.” Time nodded, remembering the time Four didn’t want to leave his bedroll and walk through the portal with the group, finding them a week later with bright orange hair and glaring at anyone who asked what happened.

“Well then,” Twilight began, “whose going to lead while you're gone?”

“Not for me to decide,” he said with a shrug. “Just keep the troublemakers in line and everyone alive.” Time placed a steady hand on the younger hero’s shoulder. “I trust you, Pup.”

Twilight grinned, but their heartfelt moment was interrupted by Warriors's announcement. “Alright everyone, Twi and I will be in charge while the old man and Sky are gone, so try not to get yourselves killed, alright?”

“No way am I listening to you,” Legend scoffed. The two started to engage in a verbal duel while the others bid Time and Sky farewell.

“Bring me back a souvenir,” Four requested of Sky, who grinned in response.

“How long will you guys be gone?” Wind asked Time.

“Hopefully not too long.”

Wild sighed and shook his head sadly. “Come back soon, will ya?”

Time didn’t respond, only nodding. Sky nudged his shoulder, gesturing towards the portal. They walked forward, but Time stopped when Twilight called out for him to stop. His protege's eyes were filled to the brim with panic and anxiety.

“You’ll come back.” he declared, but it sounded more like a question than anything. His tone was unusually nervous. “And if you don’t, I promise I’ll find you.”

Time shot him a smile, hoping to quell some of his fears, before walking through the portal.

━━━O━━━

The switch was ordinary as ever. Disorientation, followed by a spell of nausea and light sensitivity before his symptoms died down and left a dull headache. Time closed his eye and let the pain subside before slowly observing their surroundings. The area was scarily familiar, resembling the entrance to the cave that opened up to the path leading to Zora’s Domain. The sky was an eerie shade of deep red framed with black clouds, and a dark cloud of smoke hung above the castle. A chilling breeze that made Time shiver blew from the other side of the cave, forcing him to stand and get moving to keep his body warm. 

“Glad to see your doing better,” Sky said from his side. The Chosen Hero’s face was still pale and tinged slightly green. He looked just as good as Time was feeling. Sky turned his head back up at the sky, his face twisted in a grimace. “This place is a little unsettling. Do you recognize anything?”

“It looks a lot like my Hyrule,” Time answered. “This path should lead to Zora’s Domain if we head right, and to Kakariko if we go left. But somethings-“

He was cut off when a group of stalchildren rose from the ground and started attacking them. Time easily took out his with a few swipes from the Biggoron Sword, while Sky efficiently hit each monster’s weak points and ended them.

“Are those common around here?”

Time sheathed the sword and frowned. “No, not anymore.” He scanned up ahead. “We should head to the castle, I’m sure Zelda would know why we were sent here.”

Sky nodded and managed to push himself up, though with a great deal of effort. Time could see that the path ahead wasn’t too long, only being about half an hour walk away from the town. Lon Lon ranch stood in the distance, the roof of the house peeking from over the surrounding hills and filling Time with nostalgia and longing. But now was not the time to pay Malon a visit— if the goddess wanted them to have a break she’d drop them off at his doorstep. Though the chances of that happening when she went out of her way to separate just her and Sky this time were slim, and it made Time bite his cheek to hold back any curses that might slip out of his mouth.

“Hello? Time?” Sky said, waving his hand in front of the older hero’s face. “You ok?”

“Yes, I’m fine, just lost in thought. What’s wrong?”

“No nothing, I was just asking what was up with the sky and why everything seems so...”  _dead_.

Time ran a hand through his hair and glanced up. The sky was beginning to darken, but it was still tinged slightly red. It reminded him of his Hyrule post-seven years slumber.

“I’m not sure. Could just be because it’s sunset.”

Sky considered that for a moment but didn’t seem satisfied. “Why do you think the goddess separated just us?” He asked, changing the subject to one less welcome. Time clicked his tongue in annoyance at the mere mention of her.

“She does what she wants, regardless of what the rest of us wish. And it sometimes seems she does so without care of our wellbeing.” He remembered the time Legend had nearly lost a limb and Wind his life while they got dropped off in the middle of a Moblin camp. Needless to say, Time was forced to play the Song of Time more than once, but their final words still rang clear in his head, even now, months later. 

_ Sending mere children marching to their death in her name. _

“I’m sure she cares about us,” Sky said, crossing his arms in defiance, but his voice held no anger. “She is kind and-“

“Yes I know Sky,” Time interrupted with annoyance in his tone, immediately regretting it when he saw Sky’s face fall a little. Time put a hand on his shoulder and gave him an apologetic look. “I just- it’s hard sometimes, going on these constant adventures and battles, and she doesn’t make it any easier.” _She never did._ “Let’s just focus on getting into town for now and figuring out why we’re here. And why there’s no guard at the gate.”

Sky’s eyes widened in surprise, noticing that the town’s protection was indeed missing, meeting Time’s gaze and they both drew their swords and held them at the ready as they walked slowly over the bridge into Castletown.

Time’s heart dropped at the sight of it. It was the desolate town from a timeline that should’ve been long abandoned, one that Time had worked so hard to prevent. Buildings were falling apart, their roofs caved in and rubble littering the streets. Redeads stood where people should be, a horrifying gaping mouth permanently stuck on their faces that were covered in their wooden death masks. Time forgot Sky was with him as he stared, and the Chosen Hero made the mistake of trying to kill one of the creatures. As he got close, it let loose an unearthly scream, freezing him in his tracks and snapping Time out of his stupor. He fumbled to get his ocarina and put it to his lips, playing a disjointed Sun's Song. The redead froze in place, and Time took the opportunity to grab Sky by his collar and drag him to the Temple of Time. As soon as they entered, he let the younger hero go and stumbled backward, trying to calm himself.

“What-“ Sky stopped, struggling to catch his breath. His voice shook as much as his hands. “What was that?”

Time shook his head vigorously before planting it in his hands and willing his heart to slow. “Redeads,” he said in a voice barely above a whisper. He swallowed deeply, trying to force down the memories of the well and the temple, before looking up at Sky. “They shouldn’t be here. Not in this time. What did that damned goddess do this time?”

Sky furrowed his eyebrows and opened his mouth to retort, but a sudden gasp and the sound of steel slipping from a sheath bounced off the white walls of the empty temple. They both turned to see a person slightly shorter than Time. His figure was cast in the shadows of the moonlight that streamed in the windows.

“Who’re ya” They asked in a voice that was almost identical to Time’s but had a strange accent. “What’re ya do’in in ‘ere?”

Time calmly held up his hands in surrender and Sky followed. “We’re just travelers. We came here on a pilgrimage, but the city was overrun and we hid here from the monsters.”

The figure let out a soft ‘oh’. “Well pardon my rudeness, I wasn’ zactly spectin visiters round now. Suppose I’ll have ta put up signs telling people ta stay way from the town for now. Though, guess it won’t matter when I save Zelda”

Sky’s eyes widened at the name, even though he could hardly understand half of what he said. “Your name wouldn’t happen to be Link, would it?”

They stepped into the little bit of light, wearing a proud smile and the signature green cap and tunic. Gold hair peeked from beneath his hat and framed his eyes. 

“That’s me! And you guys’re?”

Time could hardly believe what he was seeing. It was him, but younger, greener, and obviously lacking his fairy companion. It was the boy who’d woken up after a seven-year slumber still ready to save the world or die trying, and not set out on another goddess forsaken adventure. The version of himself that wasn’t obsessed with three days, and hopefully never would be if this timeline was different. After a few moments of silence, Sky decided to speak since it seemed Time had lost his voice.

“I know this might be a little hard to believe, but I’m also Link, Hero of the Skies. You must be the Hero of Time, right?” The boy’s eyes glittered in the light as he nodded enthusiastically. “Well then, it’s very nice to meet you. You can call me Sky, and he’s...” Sky trailed off, thinking of a new nickname for Time before settling on, “the old man.”

Link couldn’t fully suppress a snort, making Sky grin. Time said nothing, his throat constricting painfully at the sight of the boy. He looked down at the floor, the details on the walls, the high ceiling, anywhere but at the hero that made him scream internally at circumstances he knew he couldn’t change.

“Well, I guess ya can stay ‘ere for the night. It’s been gettin’ real bad out there in the town,” Link replied, sheathing his sword in a slightly clumsy manner. ”Just don’ touch them stones there. I’ll be in that chamber right there, alright?” Link pointed to the room behind two large doors that was empty, save for an unnaturally bright stream of moonlight. Sky nodded for both him and Time and waited for the boy to leave before turning to the older man.

“Care to explain?” He said, tapping his foot. Time moved over to the steps and began putting down his things wordlessly, not meeting Sky’s gaze. “Time?” Time took his Biggoron sword off his back and set about cleaning it, not paying Sky any mind, much to the Chosen Hero’s frustration.

“Not really. I think you’ve got the gist of it already,” Time said in a low voice. “There’s not much more to say.”

“Not much more? He’s literally you, Time, there’s so much to say and so many questions I want to ask...” Sky swing his arms in what sounded like exhaustion and sighed. “Whatever. I’ll leave you be, but we will be talking about this later.” He paused before adding with a grin, “and we need to talk about that accent.”

Time rolled his eye as Sky walked away and felt something tugging at the corners of his lips. The situation was not even close to being amusing, but he couldn’t help but let the optimism of his younger self(or what was left of it after the Shadow Temple) and Sky’s playful jab break through the cloud of pain he was feeling. He could still feel the bubbling of anger and frustration but was willing to let it stay buried for now. His lack of a fairy also concerned him deeply. Link shouldn’t be alone, no hero should. 

**_ An adventure is never what you expect, you should know that best. _ **

He put down his sword with a sigh and leaned back against the steps, not wanting to acknowledge the statement from a voice that shouldn’t be heard. The weight in his pack grew, and he felt the draw to reach inside, but Time stamped down the urge and focused instead on his breathing. It was going to be a long night.

━━━O━━━

Sky glanced at Link, whose shape was highlighted by the streams of moonlight like a ghost as he sat fiddling with an ocarina mindlessly. He walked up the steps and slowly entered the room, making sure he was loud enough that the boy would notice.

“Need some’in?” Link asked. Sky shook his head.

“No, I was just hoping we could speak a bit? About your adventure?” 

Link’s face practically radiated joy and excitement at the prospect of sharing his story. “Course! Long as ya promise to tell me bout your’s.”

“You're quick to trust people, huh?” Sky commented and the boy turned red. “Aw, don’t be so embarrassed about it, but you really should ask people for proof when they tell you things like that.”

Link shrugged and leaned back on his elbows. “I don’ need proof.”

“Why not?”

“I dunno, I can jus’ tell, ya know?” Link’s eyes glittered at the words. “You feel like Zelda. You feel... good.”

Sky raised an eyebrow. “Good?”

Link ran a hand through his hair, much like Time’s old habit. “Can’t really ‘splain it, but ya feel right. Like the Grea’ Deku Tree.”

Sky shook his head. “How old are you anyway?”

“10!” He nearly shouted. Sky watched him and waited for the joke, but when none came, he just sat in confusion until Link elaborated. “Uh, the sword sealed me way for 7 years, till I was old nough to use it.” His fingers twitched for the blade strapped to his waist. “So I look older than I really am. But I sometimes forget...”

“Oh, I see,” Sky said, deciding that his twitching hands were a much more interesting sight than the hero. Link noticed and quickly changed the subject.

“I think ya’d like to meet my friend Sheik. They’re real nice, but I haven’ seen em in a while. I miss em.” A smile pulled at his lips and the hint of blush brushed his cheeks.

“You like them?” Sky prodded playfully. That got a rise out of the hero, whose face burned bright red.

“N-no, we're jus- we’re-!” He didn’t finish, burying his face in his hands. Sky chuckled and clapped his back gently.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got someone just like that.” That got him to lift his head slightly. “Her name is Zelda.”

“What?! You're in love with the princess?!”

“Yup, well she’s not a princess in my time.” Sky tapped his chin thoughtfully. “I haven’t seen her in a while though”

Link’s exuberance all but faded at that as he looked at his ocarina sadly. “I haven’ seen the princess either. I jus hope she’s safe.”

“I’m sure she is,” Sky assured. “Do you know what happened to the town?”

“That’? Yea, while I was sealed way, Ganondorf,” he said that with venom in his voice, “took over and everything turned ta shi- poop, turned ta poop. No cursing,” Link mumbled quickly making Sky grin. “But I’ve been workin hard to stop ‘im and free the sages. I was bout to head to the castle, but I ran inta yous, so I’m waitin till morning and then I’ll beat im.”

Sky felt pride swell in his chest, despite the guilt that sat right behind it. The boy was way too enthusiastic for him to feel bad. He wondered what happened to him to turn him into the man he was with the group, stoic and wise, besides getting older. The thought made it harder to talk.

“I know you will succeed. Heroes never fail, after all,” Sky told him, half believing his own words. “Have you fought any monsters that have had black blood as of late?”

“Black blood?” Link repeated. His eyes glossed over the same way Wild's did when he had a memory, but they cleared when he shook his head. “Sorry, not that I know of. But I have seen somein odd round the castle. Not to sure what it is, but feel free to check it out when mornin comes round.”

“I think I’ll take you up on that offer,” Sky smiled. He yawned loudly and stretched. “I think it’s time for sleep.” 

“I’ll be in tha' corner, sorry I don’ have spare blankets.”

Sky stood and waved his hand. “No problem. Good night Link.”

Sky made his way back to the main area, glancing over at a sleeping Time who was leaning against the pedestal. He decided it’s probably easier to sleep on the carpet than the marble floor and sat a little further away from the older hero. Sky slowly unhooked his sailcloth and pressed it beneath his face, leaning into the soft fabric. It still smelled like her, but it wasn’t as comforting as usual. Something gnawed at his heart and made each breath a little more painful than the last.

His eyes weighed as heavily as his mind, and Sky flicked them over to Time. His scarred eye twitched in his sleep, and the markings on his face almost seemed to shine in the soft moonlight. He tried not to compare him to the younger boy, but it was impossible. It was hard to believe they were the same person and painful that they really were. Sky clenched his fist tightly as his eyes finally closed, with thoughts of a future he wished he could’ve averted, and knew he could've if he was better, darkening his dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's the first chapter! Some chatting, a tiny little bit of action, and some other spooky stuff. What's happening? Who knows...


	2. Hero's Requiem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saying goodbye when you've just met

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for: Injury and character death
> 
> And so the angst (and a little bit of plot) begins

_ My little blue fairy whispered something in my ear, she sounded so sad. I tracked her with my eyes as her light floated off into the dark red sky. I hope she comes back. The ground shook under my back. Not normal, but neither was the world turning various shades of gray and white and muted tones of green and brown. Strange, but the ringing in my ears was horrible. I tried to move my arms and place them on my stomach- _

_ No. Not a good idea. _

_ A hand wrapped around mine. It was warm, way warmer than my skin. It was getting cold. _

_ "...nk... L... ay with me... Link!"  _

_ There was an urgency in their voice that scared me. I looked at them as quickly as I could, which wasn't fast at all. My limbs felt so heavy, immovable. I met her gaze, Zelda's, and felt my heart sink at the sight of her distraught face. _

_ "Z-Zelda." It was even harder to talk without coughing, but I knew that'd only hurt more. And everything already hurt so much. _

_ "Link, please stay," she whispered. She put her head on my shoulder and her whole body shook. The shoulder of my tunic was wet, but she felt good against the rapidly freezing world, so I didn't mind. _

_ "I'm sorry, I just- just wish I had more time." Breathing was an impossible task so I just used whatever air was in my lungs to speak. I had to. " t's my fault, I failed. Everything is gone, everyone is gone, I'm sorry. I j-just want to say goodbye. Tell- tell Navi I'm sorry if you see her. I made her sad, and I'm sorry. Tell Malon that... Tell the Great Deku..." It was harder to get words out now. Zelda's hand rested on my cheek. Or at least I think it was her hand, I couldn't see anymore, the world had dimmed until it was almost black. _

_ "You can tell her yourself, Link. You have time." The ringing had subsided to a dull muffle like my head was dunked underwater. It was comforting, her voice, the quiet, the heat from her body. I could even fall asleep if I tried. "Just stay with me, alright? Promise me you will." _

_I let a tear slip, and the world darkened completely. “I... promise...”_

Sky gasped for air and sat up. He struggled to breathe for a moment, trying to sort his thoughts and remember what was a dream and what wasn’t. Tears burned in his eyes and he quickly blinked them away.

“Your alright, I’m right here,” Time said, suddenly beside him and wrapping a reassuring arm around Sky’s shoulders. Sky didn’t even notice he’d been there. “Is something wrong with your stomach?”

Sky glanced down and saw his nails digging deeply into his tunic. He jerked his hand away and tried to keep his breathing even. “Bad dream.”

Time didn’t look convinced but decided not to press the issue. He stood and placed the Biggoron sword back in place before turning to the entrance of the temple.

“Link’s gone,” he stated simply, sending a new wave of panic through Sky. “He must’ve left in the night without us noticing. Did you get any information from him?”

“Kind of.” Sky slowly pushed himself to his feet, forcing the terrifying dream deep into the recesses of his mind. “He said there was something strange happening near the castle, but his final battle is supposed to be occurring there as we speak, so I’m not sure if it’s a good idea to head there.”

Time looked deep in thought as he gestured for Sky to follow him out of the temple and into the small courtyard out front. He sent a quick prayer to Hylia wishing for health and safety, especially for Link, before following him outside. The sky wasn’t as horrific a shade of red as it was the day prior, but it was still unsettling. 

“If he left early in the morning, he should be making his way up the castle still. It’ll be safe for a while until it starts collapsing.”

Sky did a double-take. “Wait, collapsing? With him inside?”

“Yes,” Time replied. “It was Ganondorf’s last attempt to get mine and the princess’s Triforce. We made it out in time, obviously, so Link most likely will too.” Sky watched his fingers dance across his ocarina. “I’m not sure what it is that’s going on nearby, but it sounds like a lead.”

“Is there a way we can get to the castle without coming across those...” Sky trailed off and grimaced, “redeads?”

Much to Sky’s dismay, Time shook his head. “Our only choice is to sprint through town and up the path. Once we leave the main area, we’ll be free of basically all enemies.”

Sky sighed and geared himself. “Let’s go then.”

And with that, the two began their mad dash towards the castle, staying as far away as they could from the undead monsters in the center of town. As Time said, the path leading to the main castle was almost completely devoid of anything besides rubble. There wasn’t much to do in the area surrounding the castle, since Time said it would be impossible for them to get in, so they searched for any clues as to what Link had suggested was occurring.

“So,” Sky said while they searched, “what’s with the accent?”

Time physically cringed and the tips of his ears grew red. “Nothing.”

“That was definitely not nothing, considering I could barely understand him half the time.”

Time shrugged and put down the boulder he’d been carrying, taking off the silver gauntlets. “I was raised in a forest surrounded by eternal 10 years olds and my dad was a giant talking tree. Hylian wasn’t exactly my first language.”

That got Sky’s attention. He knew there were other languages, but he had no idea that Time wasn’t a native speaker. “So, What does your native language sound like?” He asked as he tapped in a suspicious-looking rock.

“Rudeigin mar seo ach cha do chleachd mi e ann an ùine. Tha e beagan doirbh a chleachdadhl.” Sky turned to Time, who was grinning mischievously. 

“What was that?”

“What you asked for,” Time said simply, not caring to elaborate. “Found something over there?”

Sky placed his hand flat on the rock and nodded. Time pushed him back gently and wrapped his hands around the rock, silver gauntlets on. With almost no effort, he lifted the enormous boulder and carelessly tossed it behind him, causing a mini earthquake that nearly knocked Sky over. Behind the rock was a dark entrance.

“Think this is it?” Sky asked warily from Time’s side.

“There’s nothing else, so probably. Let’s go.” Sky grabbed Time’s arm and followed him into the cave.

━━━O━━━

Time wondered for a brief, panic-inducing second if he was back in Termina. The usual gentle, rhythmic sound of the falling water that flowed down the wall was silent, falling just as normal water does. The Fairy Fountain itself was dimly lit and empty, besides a single stray fairy that fluttered aimlessly. The water beneath the heroes’ feet splashed soundlessly as they stepped into the center of the fountain.

“Do you know where we are?” Sky whispered.

“I know where we should be, but like everything else in this Hyrule, something’s not right.” Time stepped toward the fairy and held out his hand for it to perch on. “Hello miss, do you know where the Great Fairy is?”

“Gone!” The pink orb squeaked. “The demon king came and tried to corrupt her, so she left! Please mister hero, stop him!”

“Well, that doesn’t sound good,” Sky remarked. “Do you know where she went?”

“Sacred Realm!” It bobbed right above Time’s palm. “The sages are there now! Please help them seal Ganondorf!”

“Time, I thought the Fairy Fountains were safe havens from Demise’s hate. How could this one be threatened with corruption?”

Time clenched his jaw hard at the thought. The last time the Great Fairies had been attacked was in... no, that wasn’t Ganondorf, and that demon has long since been defeated and sealed away, the buzzing voice in the back of his mind was a reminder of that. But the Great Fairies being forced to retreat was not a good sign for this hero.

“Miss fairy, could you help us reach the Sacred Realm?” The fairy fluttered in place, humming quietly as it contemplated.

“Sure! You’ve got the Master Sword! Just put it in the pedestal in the Temple of Time and you’ll go there!” 

Time couldn’t stop himself from flinching. “Ok, thank you, missus.” She flew away, vanishing in a small flash of light into the surface of the water.

“Straight to the temple? Or do you have any other ideas?” Sky’s fingers twitched for the Master Sword. Time kept himself from slapping the Chosen Hero’s hand away from his sacred blade.

“Not exactly, but going to the temple should be our last option. Things never go well when the sword is brought there.” Sky’s lips pressed into a thin line but he said nothing as they emerged from the cave. “We need to find Zelda or someone with a great connection to the goddess.”

“I think I can manage that,” Sky mumbled as he unsheathed the sword. “All beings graced with Hylia's light emanate a similar magical signature, so I think dowsing would work.” He closed his eyes and the metal pulsed blue, slowly at first until Sky pointed it towards Death Mountain and it was practically radiating. “There.”

He unhooked his ocarina and played the notes to the Nocturne of Shadows. He placed Sky’s hand on his shoulder and swayed as he played the warp song, feeling himself become weightless for an instant before opening his eyes and seeing an empty, rainy graveyard beyond a fence in front of him. Sky exhaled heavily like he’d been holding his breath, and looked at Time, bemused.

“Sorry, I probably should’ve warned you,” Time said, trying to keep the smile out of his voice.

“Please do next time. That was... strange,” Sky groaned, patting himself to make sure all of his limbs were still attached. Once he was adjusted, the two hopped over the fence— with Time being extra careful to not even glance backward at the temple— and walked into town, which was empty of the usual hustle and bustle of the small village.

“This town is really, um, quaint?” Sky tried to say as comforting as he could, but it came out more concerned and slightly frightened. Time let his hand hover over his sword.

“Kakariko isn’t supposed to be this quiet.” He led them to what should’ve been the front of Impa’s house and opened the door without knocking. A bad habit he needed to work on. Inside was someone slumped over a pile of papers, sandy blonde hair draped over their back in a long braid and a white cap sitting firmly on their head. The shifting of the floorboards immediately woke them, and they practically flew across the room and held knives against the hero's necks.

“Explain yourselves,” they said dangerously. Time didn’t dare hesitate.

“I’m Time, this is Sky, we’re looking for someone and thought we might find them here.” He paused and quickly took in the house. It was the same as he remembered, if not slightly messier. His gaze finally landed on the person who was threatening them, and he allowed a sly smile to grace his lips. “Though it seems we’ve already found the missing princess.”

Their eye widened in surprise as they drew back slightly. “How’d you know?”

“You don’t recognize me, Sheik? I didn’t think I’d changed that much after 10-ish years.” Sheik gasped and put a hand flat against Time’s chest before grabbing his right hand and seeing the dull scar of the Triforce that been branded to his skin. He grit his teeth at the sight. 

“But- you- how’d you-“ Sheik’s eye filled with tears that overflowed and fell down their face. Time brought them into a hug while Sky watched awkwardly from against the wall. “But that’s impossible, you shouldn’t be here. You can’t.”

“Well, you can thank the goddess for that,” Sky winked brightly. Time let himself roll his eye. There was nothing to thank her for. “We’re from different times across Hyrule’s history. I’m from the past and Time, I guess the present or very near future. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sheik, I’ve heard a lot about you,” Sky said, amused. Sheik shot him a curious and confused look,  gesturing for Time to take a seat across from them at the table in the middle of the room. 

“Seems you’ve made yourself comfortable here.”

Sheik shrugged and leaned back tiredly.  “I’ve been here for almost a decade now, and Impa’s not here anymore, so I have to take care of things myself.” Sheik’s lonely eye darkened at the mention of the Sheikah. “But how has your future been? I assume you returned to when you were a child, after your adventure, yes?” Time’s eye widened at that, surprised by Sheik’s deduction. They waved their hand. “Please, it’s not like I can read your mind. I’d been planning that since the moment the sword sealed you away. You deserved a childhood, a life.”

Time bit his tongue. “I suppose I have that  now. It did... take a while to get.” He felt the corners of his lips turn up. “But I have it, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

Sheik’s bangs swung as they nodded, obscuring their eye. “That’s good. It’s what I always hoped I could give you, Link...” They trailed off, watching as Sky blatantly took one of Sheik’s daggers and hid it in his bag. Time sighed and turned his attention back to the last Sheikah.

“I’m sure you have a lot of questions as to why the Hero of the Skies and I are here, but I honestly don’t have the answers for you. If it were up to me, I’d be...” Raising his young family, taking care of the ranch, being happy. But adventure always called, and who was he to turn it away? Not that he could even if he tried, it often seemed to drag him by his ankles, kicking and screaming, and throwing him at anything it thought was guaranteed to kill him, or at least scar him for life.

“We’re not sure why we were brought here,” Time continued, ignoring the quickly darkening thoughts brewing in his mind, “but we were hoping to find some hint from you.  Especially since you’re supposed to be at the castle, not here.”

Sheik stared at him with a piercing gaze. “Back at the castle?” They shook their head, brushing aside the comment, and  turned to their papers that they’d been seemingly pouring over for hours before the heroes' arrival. They looked hopelessly on them like one last look would reveal some hidden truth. “I don’t know. There is nothing that can be done anymore.” The bags under their eyes were far more pronounced now, and it sent a pang through Time's heart. "Everyone's fled from the kingdom and those that stayed had to go into hiding. I'm not sure what hints I could give you if they've seemed to allude me for so long..."

Time raised an eyebrow and was going to speak but Sky beat him to the punch. “But Link said there was something happening around the castle.”

Sheik’s head whipped around wildly to meet Sky’s stare. “Link? What do you mean he said something, you spoke to him?”

“Uh yeah, we met him in the Temple of Time. He mentioned you among other things.” Sky grinned a little but Sheik still looked bewildered.

“Ganondorf’s been increasing his security measures and attacking the fairy fountains, but that still doesn’t explain it. Link is...” they trailed off, looking at their hands. "He promised...”

“What’s wrong? Is he alright?" Time asked. Sheik turned their head up to him, grief and regret swimming in their eyes.

“Link died and Navi left. He was defeated by Ganondorf two years ago in their final battle.”

━━━O━━━

“Oh, your back!” Link greeted brightly from his seat on the stairs leading to the chamber that held the pedestal of the Master Sword. “Did you find anythin’ out?”

Sky shook his head but didn’t speak. He took a few uneasy steps forward and nearly fell over, but Link caught him.

“Hey, you're not lookin’ too good. Was wrong?”

“N-Nothing,” Sky stuttered. He hyperventilated while Link gave up talking and rubbed soothing circles on his back while humming a sweet song. The instructions Sheik gave him on how to help the Hero were still clear in his mind despite his anxieties. He had no reason to doubt them that it would be a peaceful process, but the pit of nervousness that’d been building since they left Kakariko remained. He hoped the goddess would ensure everything went well. Link stopped humming and leaned over to look Sky in his eyes. The moonlight shone off his skin divinely, smile cut through the darkness of the temple.

“Better?” He asked. Sky nodded and swallowed, letting himself sit back upright.

“Link,” he began. He brought up a shaky hand to rub his face and sighed unsteadily. He really couldn’t do this. “Do you... do you remember your battle with Ganondorf?”

The boy cocked his head to the side. “Battle? I haven’ fought im yet. Couldn’t get into the castle.”

Sky reached for his Master Sword, holding it across his lap while the boy stared in childlike awe. His heart hammered hard in his ears. The world spun. “You did Link. Y-you’ve fought him.” He grabbed Link’s hand and placed it on the steel. “Remember.”

Link furrowed his eyebrows and opened his mouth to speak, but the blade began pulsing blue, starting dim before gradually building in intensity. He watched it with wide eyes which eventually glossed over as he became lost in a memory. Sky’s concern grew when his breathing became shallow and he doubled over in pain.

“Link, what’s wrong-“ he began but stopped when Link’s tunic grew dark, stained red. The boy gasped for air several times before collapsing onto his side. Sky caught him and lowered him onto his back in horror.

“T-TIME!” he screamed at the top of his lungs as he pressed his hands to the wound. He looked Link in his eyes, which were filled with fear. “Your going to be alright, I promise, just- just stick with me, ok?”

Time was by Sky’s side immediately. “What happened?”

“I don’t know, I just told him to remember, so he could move on, and...” he stopped talking when Link’s mouth opened and closed. Sky leaned forward to hear what he was saying.

“M’ sorry,” he whispered, tears wetting his splotchy red cheeks. His body became engulfed in a teal outline while flames of the same color flickered around him. “M’ sorry. T-tell Zelda... I broke my promise... Navi, she...” his words grew spaced out as he struggled for air. The stab had grown to a gaping wound that Sky couldn’t bear to look at. It took everything in his power to stop himself from turning away from him entirely.

“You didn't break your promise,” he told the boy, clutching his hand tightly. He looked to Time desperately, but the older hero looked completely lost. “Navi is... she’s ok, she’s waiting for you.”

“Sh-She is?” He choked on his words, eyes stayed locked on Sky’s. The Chosen Hero didn’t bother wiping away his own tears anymore, focusing on cleaning Link’s face.

“Yea, your fairy’s been waiting for you for a while, Link. You just need to go find her.”

Link smiled painfully, but it was just as genuine as his first. “Thank you,” he whispered before his hand fell limp in Sky’s. His head fell back. He was completely still.

Sky kept Link’s hand tightly in his own, staring at the boy’s unmoving body. He placed a hand on his forehead. He was still warm. Light emerged from beneath him— hundreds of tiny little balls of light floated from seemingly nowhere and wrapped around his body in a beautiful shower of purity. The lights floated upward, dissipating into the moonlight. Sky watched, his hands grasping at nothing once Link had disappeared. 

“It- it wasn’t supposed to go like this,” he breathed. “Sheik said he was supposed to move on peacefully, not like this.” He looked at Time, whose face was unreadable and unchanging. “Not like this,” Sky repeated, wrapping his arms around his legs. Things weren’t supposed to be this way, children shouldn’t be dying to fix a problem Sky started. It was all...

“Hylia,” Time hissed, clenching his fist tightly. His eyes flicked to the sword, filled with hate and disgust. “The goddess, she could’ve stopped this. But she never does.”

The words caught in Sky’s throat, nothing would come out. He couldn’t defend her, even if he wanted to do just that so badly, and he didn't know what to say to comfort the older hero. He was never able to. “I-I’m...” Sky didn’t finish.  _I’m sorry_ _,_ he thought. 

_ What kind of hero muster up the courage to say two simple words? What kind of coward can’t apologize to the one person they’ve hurt the most? _

Time placed a firm hand on Sky’s shoulder. “It’s not your fault, it’s hers.”

_ But isn’t it all because of me? _

Sky said nothing but nodded mechanically. A portal suddenly came into existence by the entrance to the temple. It seemed the goddess had no intention of letting them linger or wallow in grief. Sky thought that was for the best, but Time’s look let him know the older hero thought otherwise. He helped Sky to his feet gently, only removing his arm from supporting him once Sky looked steady. They entered the darkness silently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uh oh :(
> 
> (I love Sheik so much)


	3. Allargando

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Resting when you never had the chance to and don't remember how

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for: referenced/implied death
> 
> a break :) kind of
> 
> (It gets heavy)

The air was crisp and welcoming, greeting the heroes with cold kisses as they stepped through the portal. It was a far cry from the stagnant, abnormally frigid air of the Temple of Time, and the difference was appreciated. The soft sound of grass blowing in the wind and Malon’s humming brought warmth to his heart, but it couldn’t bring a smile to his face. 

“Boys!” Malon yelled as she caught sight of them and made her way over. Her face was just as beautiful as always, lighting up with a grin as she approached. “Good to see you both. And the others?”

Time glanced at Sky, who was staring with wide eyes at his still shaking hands. “Just the two of us, we got separated a bit ago, but it seems it’s what the goddess,” he added a tone of bitterness, “wanted.”

Malon watched the Chosen Hero and nodded understandingly. “Well, I’ve done most of the work already, so I’ll start dinner. Sky, you can finish things up with the horses if ya like, or just rest until the foods ready.”

“I-I think I’ll-“ Sky’s voice hitched and he swallowed hard, keeping his eyes on the floor. “I’ll finish the work.” And with that, he shuffled off to the horses’ pens. Marlon stepped to Time’s side and sighed.

“What happened?”

“We’ll talk about it later,” Time replied, surprised he was able to keep his voice relatively steady. He grabbed Malon’s hand. “Let’s head inside.” He tugged her forward, but she stayed firmly where she was, a frown plastered onto her face.

“Your not gonna talk to him?”

Time mentally berated himself. He probably should’ve thought of that first, but he was still so shaken the thought didn’t even grace his mind. Every time he looked at Sky’s shaking hands, his distraught face, that goddess damned sword, he couldn’t help but see Link’s limp body. Link's face, his own face, lifeless on the floor of the Temple of Time. His hand instinctively went to cover his stomach. It wasn't an illusion or dream. It was real, everything he saw, the doomed timeline that fell to Ganondorf's rule. Malon’s hand fell gently on his cheek, pulling him from his thoughts.

“Later,” she said. 

━━━O━━━

Later came much sooner than Time hoped it would. Dinner was much smaller and more elaborate than usual, with Malon cooking up an array of meats, rice, and vegetables; like the complexity of the meal would help them forget as they navigated the meal, but the empty seats around the table served as a constant reminder, beating them over the head with who they were forced to leave behind, and who was taken from them.

Time’s utensils sat lined up uniformly beside his plate of food, waiting for the dig in. His fingers wandered uselessly over each one, his appetite failing him as he watched Sky poke at his food tiredly. The boy’s face was downcast as he pushed his rice from side to side on the plate, not with his usual happy sleepiness. Malon noticed too.

“So how’s everyone been doing?” She asked brightly, trying in vain to lift the mood. Sky didn’t bother looking up or responding.

“Fine,” Time lied. Sky flinched. “We’ve been separated from them for a few days now, so hopefully we’ll be reunited soon. I’m worried about them.”

Malon hummed in agreement but shot him a concerned glance. “And how are you, Sky?”

The hero closed his eyes for a split second before setting down his fork and smiling at Malon. It didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m as good as the goddess allows me to be. I thank her for her blessings.”

Time clenched his jaw tightly and picked up his fork, stabbing it into whatever was on his plate. It was ridiculous at this point. He knew Sky was highly devoted to Hylia, but after everything she’s done and didn’t do, after everything Sky has had to sacrifice for her, the least he can do is realize that he was mistaken on the matter of her ‘greatness’. Time could hardly bring himself to look at the Chosen Hero without feeling rage clawing up his chest, roaring to get out, that fucking voice that kept nagging-

“If only she’d dole those blessings out equally,” Time hissed under his breath. He caught himself as soon as the sentence escaped his lips and prayed Sky hadn’t heard. His prayers went unanswered, as always.

“She... does,” Sky said lowly, his wavering slightly. “Hylia loves all equally.”

Time wrapped his fingers around the utensil. He could feel Malon’s stare burning into the side of his face while his food grew cold, but he ignored it. “Then why does she lets people suffer if she’s so all-loving and all-powerful?”

"Link," Malon said in warning, tugging on his sleeve. He ignored her.

Sky’s gaze was unwavering in their game of cuckoo to see who’d turn away first. The younger hero was unshakeable, his clear blue eyes boring straight into Time's soul. “She doesn’t let people suffer, it happens because some are supposed to rise and take on the mantle of hero. Because we’re all given choices and chances to do the right thing.” He paused at the last word and swallowed hard. “But there should only ever be one hero.”

“If only there was, then maybe we wouldn’t need that sorry excuse of a goddess.”

Sky furrowed in eyebrows in anger, but it wasn't directed at Time. "I... I'm..." He blinked rapidly. "I promise it isn't her fault, it's just-"

"Just what, Sky?! Who's to blame if it's not her fault?" Time's voice was just below a shout. "You constantly defend her, never letting her actually be at fault for anything, when all this, everything we've seen and had to do is because she's a sorry fucking excuse of a goddess."

Sky’s eyes widened in horror. “Don’t say that she’s doing the best she can-“

“Then why does she let children fight in her wars?” Time snapped. “Why did she let him die? Why did she let Wild and Wind and Hyrule and all of us risk our lives for her sake when we were just children? You say she loves everyone equally but she sure didn't seem to give a damn when she let the world end three times. So explain to me," his voice dripped with venom, "why do you still love her.

Sky looked into Time’s eye for what was probably a second, but to Time, it lasted forever. Finally, his gaze fell, losing the tense game that had evolved into something darker, and Time felt a stone fall into his stomach. He sighed in a tone that sounded so painfully exhausted and familiar to the older hero that it hurt, bringing back memories of an endless loop of three days and forcing onward without taking a moment to breathe. 

“Excuse me, I need to go sew my sailcloth. Thank you for the meal,” he mumbled as he stood and walked out of the house, closing the door gently behind him. Time sat petrified in his seat, unable to comprehend what he’d just done. Malon’s nails drummed unnervingly against the table.

“Care to explain what the fuck that was about?” She asked impatiently.

“I- I don’t-“

“Don’t even say you-,” she stopped abruptly, exhaling heavily to collect herself. Time finally met her eyes, which were red-rimmed and holding back tears. “You knew every word that came out of your mouth, so don’t even pretend you don’t.” She stood and grabbed his plate, not pausing to look at him. “You know what you have to do, and I trust you’ll do it right.” Her expression softened and turned into one far sadder and more contemplative. It reminded him of the last time he’d worn that mask. His markings burned at the memory of it, and his heart ached at the sight of her expression. He was doing the same thing again, hiding behind a mask, cowering while others suffered because of his actions. “Don’t fail him, fairy boy. He needs you. We’ll talk later.”

She turned and stepped into the kitchen, carrying his and Sky’s unfinished plate of cold food. Time pushed himself to his feet with a great deal of effort and stumbled to the door, stepping out into the frigid night air. The wind picked up almost as soon as he set foot outside, slapping his face and beating against him relentlessly, like the world itself was punishing him. The barn was just a few paces away, but every step felt like a death march to his ultimate demise. He briefly wondered why Sky didn’t sleep in the guest room. Time placed a hand on the door handle and another on the wood, preparing himself to push it open but stopped when he heard what sounded like sniffling on the other side. He pressed an ear against the door and listened.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry...” Sky repeated constantly, his voice shaking more and more with every word until he couldn’t get another out and it devolved into muffled, soul-crushing sobs. Time stepped back slowly and walked to the center of the ranch track.

The sky overhead was empty, devoid of my stars or light besides that of the moon, but Time never did like looking up. Instead, he stood in the middle of the grass and fell to his knees, digging his fingers into the dirt, feeling the soil between his fingers. It reminded him a bit of the Lost Woods. Maybe he should go back one day. He glanced at the back of his hands the Triforce glowing dimly. Anger bubbled dangerously in his chest, both at himself and the sacred symbol. On second thought, maybe it’d be best if he didn’t.

Time dragged a dirty hand through his hair and pushed it back from his face, letting the air turn his nose and ears red. When he closed his eyes, he could almost see his young face sitting beside Sky, laughing joyously. The ten-year-old in the body of someone far older, a body that never really felt like his own and still didn’t. He’d given up on keeping track of his mental and physical age a long time ago, leaving it to Malon. He felt older, more accustomed to himself, but never really felt at home. He still sometimes— often times it seemed— had never matured, never grown into a wiser, more sensitive, and understanding person. He was still the stupid not-Kokiri boy, or the naive out of place hero, or the sarcastic, deeply troubled child from goddess knows where. But he never became the caring, strong leader he’d hoped he was, or who the others saw him as.

He’d been trying for his entire life to be better, to live an actual life, but how could he do it when he was never given the chance? When everything he’d worked for was ripped apart in front of him by someone else, someone he was told was benevolent, good, light, but all he’d ever seen was how they took everything they could and never gave. When someone else always had to step up and fix their mistakes but was never acknowledged or loved or even recognized by them. And even when he wanted to protect what was left of it, he crushed it oh so brutishly with his own hands. The mounting rage threatened to boil over, but Time let out a sigh and cooled the flame. It would simmer, but never anything more. He’d already seen the consequences of that, but it seemed that it was far beyond his ability to repair it. 

It felt like it was too late, but it never hurt to hold out hope for better. Time had nothing else to lose anyway. His feet carried him unknowingly back to the front of the barn, the sounds inside having lessened to indistinguishable murmurs. He was given a second chance, now he just had to take it. He exhaled and slowly opened the door, letting in a thin stream of light. Sky held the Master Sword in its scabbard close to his face, his eyes hidden by his bangs. Time licked his lips nervously and averted his eyes front the blade.

“Sky,” he almost whispered, slightly surprised by how even his voice sounded. The Chosen Hero looked up slowly, his expression unreadable. Time couldn’t meet his gaze and looked down instead, where his eyes probably belonged. “I’m sorry... I-I shouldn't have said those things.”

Sky said nothing, humming tunelessly before setting down the sword and resting on his side against the hay. Time stood there for a moment, _pathetically_ , waiting for Sky to say something. But he never did, breathing shakily into the hay as his eyes closed. Time stepped out, tiptoeing into the house and onto his bed. Navi slept quietly in her crib, but Malon was wide awake, her eyes sparkling in the moonlight.

“What happened?” Malon asked, her voice hardly loud enough for him to hear, but gentle as always. He wished he was more like her.

“We were sent back to right before I fought Ganon.” Time threw a hand over his eyes like it’d help him forget what he’d seen. “But in the timeline where I failed,” Malon said nothing in response, instead of wrapping an arm around him and holding tight. It was comforting, and he wished with tears pooling at the corner of his eye that’d he’d never have to leave her arms again. “He- I died in his arms, Malon. In Sky’s arms. All because Hylia chose to abandon them.” 

_ Because I abandoned it. _

"How's Sky?"

His throat closed up. "I don't know what to say. I never do." He traced patterns in the wood beams of the ceiling. "Do you... do you think he'll forgive me?"

Her fingers glided across his chest. "He's not mad at you, Link. He could never be."

"Then why...?

She clicked her tongue lightly. "You're both too similar for your own good." Her hand moved to cup his cheek. “And are you ok?”

Time could’ve laughed at that question. The answer seemed so obvious, so plain and simple it was downright hilarious and pathetic.

“I don’t know,” he answered truthfully. “I don’t think I am.”

Malon sighed into his ear, even her breaths sounding as melodic as her singing. “I know. But I’m here for you, you know. I always am.”

Time felt the pricking of tears in his eyes but didn’t let them fall. It was all too familiar, he didn’t like having Malon carry all his baggage, but it was comforting to know she would help him without complaint. What had he done to deserve someone so wonderful?

“I would give the world for you, Malon,” he said to her. She smiled, her cheeks highlighted in the dark.

“You’ve already given enough, Link. I just want you to be with me for as long as you can.”

“It’s never long enough.”

She placed a kiss on his forehead and leaned back slowly onto the bed. “A moment spent without you always seems like eons, but I know you'll always come back.”

“I’m sorry I always leave.”

“Don’t be, it’s no one’s fault.” The brush of her hands against his face to push back his hair seemed to cast a spell on him and made his eyes heavy with sleep. The words sounded familiar like he’d heard them in another lifetime. “It’s no one’s fault.”

_ I wish that was true. _

“I promise you it is, my fairy boy.” Could she read his mind? “But you’ve spent so long thinking otherwise, it might be a little hard to believe. You’ll learn, though.” Her voice was sweet with a smile as the world descended into welcomed darkness. “You both will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> introspection, the chapter :)
> 
> Also, you know how when you stare at something long enough you start to hate it? yea that's me with everything right now :/


	4. Prelude to Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sleeping with thoughts of another painting your dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for: injury, violence, implied/referenced character death
> 
> Early update :)

Sky held the Master Sword close. It was uncharacteristically warm against the cool night. He could see its light in the dark, glowing and dimming in a rhythm that matched his breath. It was nice to watch, and eventually, sleep fell upon the hero rather uneasily, unprepared for the journey that lie ahead of him.

━━━O━━━

_ She’s gone. I watched her fly away, the blue light getting smaller and smaller in the sunlight that streamed in from the window until she was gone. I know she’s not coming back, she was never mine. I’m not a Kokiri after all, she only stuck around because she had to. Because she was told to. _

_ But when the light catches on a speck of dust just right or the bells from the top of the gate to the town ring at noon, I remember. Her voice, her presence, the feeling of the small breeze her beating wings make whenever she flew close to my face.  _

_ It’s hard to forget, no matter how badly I want to or how hard I try. So I here I sit, staring into the light that fades to a dark sky and a stream of moonlight, watching, waiting, hoping and praying. To a goddess I’m not even sure exists. To someone who won’t listen either way. _

_ Three days spent here and nothing’s changed. Three days later and I’m still alone. Three days and I don’t know why the goddess hates me. Three more, and hopefully I will. _

_~_

_ “The moon sure is beautiful tonight.” Malon was sitting next to me, smiling at the moon. _

_ “Sure.” _

_ “Link.” That was odd, she never called me by my name. “What’s wrong?” _

_ That must’ve been the first time anyone has ever asked me what’s wrong. I closed my fist, grasping at nothing, waiting for the answer to fall into my hand. But none came. _

_ “It’s... a lot of things,” too many to count or name, “everything. Every single thing in my life is wrong. Everything I do makes everything worse. I can’t do one thing without causing the entire world to collapse. I don’t want to do anything because I know someone else will get hurt because of it. I- I just want-“ _

_ In the forest, I didn’t want anything but a fairy, so that the others would accept me as one of them, so Mido would stop teasing me, and Saria wouldn’t look at me with constant pity. Then, I wanted to see the world, meet new people, visit the girl who lived at the farm and help the princess at the castle who’d said she had a dream. Then I wanted to save Saria and the other sages. But now I have no idea, I just wander from place to place looking for someone who I know will never return, wishing I had more time with them. I always thought I had so much time but now it’s never enough. _

_ “I just don’t want to be alone,” I whispered. It would be a miracle if Malon was still by my side at this point, everyone else was gone. “I don’t want anyone else to leave me.” _

_ I felt a hand on top of mine that pulled it away and let me see her face. She’s really pretty, and I know she’ll grow up into a kind and caring adult. But even as a kid, she’s the same.  _

_ “Link, I’d never leave you.” She held up a pinky. “I promise.” _

_ I held up mine but didn’t grab hers yet. “She won’t let you keep it.” _

_ “Who?” Malon asked, cocking her head. _

_ “Hylia,” I whispered pointing up. _

_ Malon turned her head up and stared before looking back down and giggling a bit. “Well, I don’t think the moon can really make me leave ya, now can it?” She grabbed my pinky with her’s. “Always, fairy boy. As long as I can make that choice, always.” _

_ Man, she’s pretty. I looked up and tried to hide my blush and tear-stained face.  _

_ “It really is beautiful.” _

━━━O━━━

Sky stirred. The sword hummed. A hand hovering above watched sadly.

━━━O━━━

_ The soup was cold. I dipped my spoon into the bowl, lifting it and tilting it over, watching the liquid run over the edge and splash back in. The dining room was silent aside from the sound of dripping from my food. _

_ “Link.” _

_ I sighed, closing my eyes and steeling myself, before looking up and meeting Malon’s gaze. She was worried. I couldn’t bring myself to say anything. She opened her mouth, closed it, bit her lip, struggling to decide what to say. I looked over her shoulder out the window. It was still dark out, the sun hadn’t risen over the horizon yet. I still had 45 hours 56 minutes 17 seconds... _

_ “Link.” I turned back to her. “Would you like to live here?” _

_ I stared. The spoon had found its way back into the soup, the surface unbroken and contents were untouched. “Live here?” _

_ She nodded and swallowed, breaking eye contact to look down at her lap. “I, um, I remember you told me you had nowhere to go, and father said it’d be alright for you to stay. And- and I was worried about you when you left. You were gone for so long and I thought you’d...” _

_ I hummed mindlessly and watched the fireflies dance outside among the grass. Dawn was quickly approaching. 45 hours 55 minutes 42 seconds._

_ “Where’d you go?” _

_ “Away.” _

_ “But... why?” _

_ Silence for a beat. “I was looking for someone.” _

_ “Did you... will you keep looking?” _

_ Maybe, in three days. Maybe once I get rid of this mask. Maybe if I go live with the Kokiri again. Maybe in 45 hours 54 minutes 23 seconds. I stood and walked to the door, not looking back at Malon. _

_ “No.” _

~

_ “Where are you going?” _

_ I kept my eyes trained on packing my bag. Epona whined softly. “Somewhere. Don’t know yet.” _

_ “Do you have to?” _

_ “Yes.” _

_ She paused for a moment and I wondered if she left. I made the mistake of turning my head to check and accidentally met Malon’s sad eyes. They shouldn’t be that way, not when everything was fine. When the world was saved, and the moon was still in the sky and the ranch was still hers. Not when she was a child, no older than me... or how old I should be. _

**_ Will you really stay and put her in danger? Make her suffer more than she already has? _ **

_ I grit my teeth and picked up the pace. I didn’t have any more time. Midnight was getting close. 5 hours 3 minutes 36 seconds._

_ “Please,” she put a hand on mine and it took everything in me to not jerk my hand back. “Don’t go.” _

**_ You’re wasting time _ **

_ “I’m wasting time.” _

_ “You don’t have to leave. You have a home here.” _

**_ You don’t belong anywhere. _ **

_ “Thanks for everything.” _

_ “I don’t understand.” _

**_ It’s not something a mortal could comprehend. _ **

_ “That’s for the best.” _

_ A hand pushed my shoulder back, forcing me to turn to her. Her face was tight with frustration. _

_ “How can it be for the best? How can you possibly live like that, with no one ever understanding what you’ve gone through or why you’re acting this way? You’ll never be happy if you live like that!” _

**_ She cannot know, little one. She would run screaming in terror if you told her. She’d look upon you like a monster, like the others. _ **

_ I felt the anger rising in my chest and curled my fist to try and keep it in check. _

_ “Maybe I don’t want to be happy.” _

_ Malon crosses her arms defiantly.  _

_ “Why? What’s keeping you from living happily?” _

**_ Do not tell- _ **

_ “Answer me.” _

**_ She can’t- _ **

_ “Link.” _

_ “JUST SHUT UP!” I screamed, trying to block them out with my ears. “J- just stop, please.”  _

_ I closed my eyes. It was too bright, everything was too loud. The ground shook below my feet, the end was quickly approaching, the moon was closing in, smiling, eyes wide and staring. People screamed and sobbed and shouted in the square. The sky was bright red. Skull kid laughed manically atop the clock tower. 4 hours 59 minutes 45 seconds._

_ A hand on my cheek stroked it gently, a soft song hummed filled the air sweetly. Epona nudged him reassuringly. _

_ “I want to... to be happy,” I finally said, blinking back the tears I didn’t know I was capable of making. “But I don’t if I can.” _

_ The song continued, the deity quieted, not even whispering or buzzing in the back of my mind, for the first time in months. The humming stopped, fading out slowly, and the silence wrapped warmly around me. I sighed and leaned into her touch. When she spoke, I heard a smile in her voice. _

_ “It’s your decision.” _

_ My grip on Epona’s reigns loosened. I grabbed her hand. The clock restarted._

━━━O━━━

The back of his hand burned. The sword pulsed, trying to wake the sleeping hero. The door creaked and an eye peeked in.

━━━O━━━

**_ It is the dawn of a new day. _ **

_ I flinched. The words shouldn’t have come as a shock to me, it spoke often and not in very subtle ways. But I hadn’t heard those words in a few years, and they weren’t exactly welcoming. _

_ “Time!” _

_ I spun around just in time to meet the sword of the Lizalfo with my sword. The damn monster tried to get the jump on me. I kicked it back and sliced through its stomach, taking a moment to catch my breath. Warriors was struggling holding off three of the monsters and stole a glance at me, making the mistake of letting his guard drop slightly. It slashed right across his stomach. _

_ “Warriors!” I lunged forward, driven by pure fear, but something grabbed the collar of my tunic and threw me back. I felt my head slam hard into a tree and tried to blink away the spots in my vision. Something big was lingering toward me. My arms weren’t moving according to my brain, and the Biggoron sword seemed to weigh_ _a ton. I could make out the blue of Warriors’s scarf, which was quickly being darkened with pools of red. _

**_ Will you really fail him again? _ **

_ I swallowed hard, keeping my sword up with one arm and reaching for my ocarina with the other. Twilight lied limp on the ground nearby, not having moved since he was thrown back from the force of the earlier explosion. If he wasn’t moving yet... _

**_ Another abandoned timeline, it seems. Have you ever thought about what happens to those you left behind? _ **

_ My heart froze. _

**_ If what the Wind child says is true, then they continue on, with or without you. Tell me, how many times have you used your ocarina thus far? _ **

_ The monster was getting closer by the second. It was a Moblin, a massive hulking one with a thick metal helmet and enormous spear. There was no way I was going to make it out alive in this state. A scream from across the battlefield from Warriors’s and the sight of a sword going through his side nearly had me jumping to my feet. I couldn’t let them get hurt or die. Not again. _

**_ Then you’ve made your choice. _ **

_ I snatched the mask out of my pack and looked into the dark interior.  _

_ “I never had one.” _

━━━O━━━

A scream threatened to tear through Sky’s throat when he woke. He placed a hand on his chest, trying to force his breathing to even out. His sight swam with stars and was blurry. It started to clear, and he only realized he was crying when his hand began getting wet. He wiped his cheeks and turned his attention to the Master Sword, that was lying several feet away from him after apparently having been thrown. Something slid off his shoulders, a blanket that he didn't have before.

He lied back down, wrapping himself tightly, but did not rest for the duration of the night. Dreams of a time beyond his own stayed on his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, this chapter really fought with me. It went through like 20 rewrites trying to make it right. And it still turned out super short.  
> Next chapter is way longer though, and mostly Sky POV, so get ready.
> 
> Things are happening ;)


	5. Fugue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> But it's always easier to hide in the past rather than looking forward

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for: canon-typical violence, injury, implied/referenced character death
> 
> And they're off again

“Weapons?”

“Yup.”

“Food?”

“Good.”

“Bedroll?”

"Right here.”

Malon sighed and put her forehead against Time’s. Sky watched the two with slight envy.

“Must you always leave so soon?” She whispered in his ear.

“It’s not always my doing.”

She pulled back and had a sorrowful look in her eye. “No, not always, but it’s even harder when it is.” Time turned his gaze downward. She pressed a hand to his cheek and turned it back up to her. “You’ll come back?”

He huffed playfully and gave her a hug. “Always.”

She kissed him deeply before stepping back with a smile. “Then, I’ll see you, fairy boy.” She looked at Sky, who'd taken to picking at the hem of his tunic. “And you’ll keep him out of trouble?”

Sky grinned, trying not to think of the little girl in his dream. “I’ll try.”

Malon regarded him for a long moment, lingering on the dark circles that'd formed under Sky's eyes and his slouch. She wrapped her arms around him, embracing him in warmth. Sky hesitantly hugged her back, relishing in the feeling, biting his lip to keep tears from falling.

"I want you to smile for me next time, alright?" she whispered and leaned back, brushing a finger across his cheek. "Really smile. Without all the weight that’s constantly weighing it down."

Sky felt his lip tremble and looked down, only able to muster a small nod. Malon smoothed his hair lovingly before turning to go back into the main house, leaving them with a wave. Time shot him a concerned look but kept his eyes locked on the dark figure. Sky exhaled heavily and shook his head to try and clear it.  They stepped through the portal.

━━━O━━━

It was a wasteland like Sky had never seen before. It was like the entire area had been razed to the ground, even the grass looking only newly grown. A massive crater took up most of the middle portion of the field, and in the distance on the other side was a single, solitary wooden hut. The air felt a little clearer than usual, a bit like Skyloft. It was easier to breathe and for once, Sky reveled in taking a deep breath without clogging up his lungs.

“Looks like that’s our destination,” Time said his voice sounding slightly muted, ruining the little bit of joy Sky had. “We can start moving whenever you're ready.”

Sky ground his teeth so hard he was worried he’d break one. But he kept his face neutral and nodded, still not able to speak after the image of a crying boy, or the voice of a deity, or a scream and tearing feeling of pain.  The walk around the crater was slow and torturous. Sky’s gaze kept wanting to flick over to the tree line and nervously scan it for danger, but he didn’t want to risk making eye contact, or even glancing at Time. Moving his feet was a challenge with how little rest he’d gotten over the past two days. His hand wanted to grip the Master Sword as hard as possible, with the memories of a boy hardly older than Wind, and waiting for someone who never came back-

“Did you sleep well?” Time asked quietly, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

“As well as I could have.” Not a lie, Sky didn’t have any control over his dreams. He wasn’t even sure if his dear goddess did either. His heart burned at the thought. Time hummed listlessly beside him.

“Sky if there’s ever anything you need to talk about, I’m here for you,” Time said. He breathed heavily. “I- I know we have a difference of opinion regarding... but that doesn’t mean I think any less of you or blame you for anything. I’m really sorry.”

Sky could hardly keep the tears in his eyes and the pressure building in his chest from pouring out in a sob. He closed his fists tighter, focusing on the slight pain of his nails digging into the palm of his hands, blocking out the older hero’s voice and all the emotions that came with it. He could only muster up a shaky breath and a tiny nod to try and get the heat of Time’s stare from off the side of his face, and only felt like he was back in control of himself once it’d left. But the pain of the feelings lingered.

They finally reached the cabin after a few minutes of walking, and as they approached, Sky noticed a young man about Warriors’s age our front, bent over by a stack of wood and deep in concentration. He stayed quiet, hoping that Time would speak up and ask the man questions, but he was just as at a loss for words as Sky was, so the two stood awkwardly waiting for the man to notice them and talk first. Luckily, they didn’t have to wait for long. He turned around and shocked Sky and presumably Time as well with how similar he looked to both of them, minus his hair which looked like it was almost white. He was divine, strikingly bright, and regal compared to the humble land around them.

“Might I help you?” The man said rather formally, dusting himself off casually but still maintaining the tenseness in his shoulders.

“Uh, w-we’re Just travelers looking for someplace to stay for the night,” Time managed to get out, stumbling over his words. The man raised an eyebrow in suspicion and subtly moved in the direction of a pitchfork lying on the ground.

“I don’t see many of our kind around here. I’d thought they’d gone to live with her grace above the clouds.”

“Above the clouds?” Sky asked. “Do you mean Skyloft?” 

The man nodded slowly. “Are you perhaps servants of her grace, Hylia?”

“Yes, we were,” Sky said quickly before Time could even process his statement. “I’m, Sky, he’s Time.”

“I’m Link, it is a pleasure to meet you both.” He wiped his hands on his pants and pointed in the direction of the cabin. “Do make yourselves comfortable, I need to finish up out here and I’ll join you shortly.”

Sky and Time nodded and made their way inside the house. It was cozy and neat, with a few paintings hanging on the walls, weapons hung on racks, and a red scarf on the back of one of the chairs at the table. He conveniently had four, even though he didn’t appear to have many visitors. The two heroes collapsed into the seats and waited for Link while trying not to pass out, who came inside after a few minutes, looking much cleaner. 

“Apologies for the mess, I haven’t had the chance to tidy up.” He sat on the chair with the scarf and wrapped it around his neck. “Please tell me your story. The surface is dangerous, and I’d like to hear why you two are here without the goddess’s blessing by your sides.”

Time quirked an eyebrow. “Her blessings?”

“Your loftwings.” He leaned back, slightly confused. “Unless things have changed quite significantly in the time I’ve been away from her grace.”

“No, no!” Sky practically leaped out of his chair from excitement and relief that his failure hadn't caused another tragedy and spawned more heroes. “I mean, we still have loftwings in my time, but if you know about them, then you must be the first hero!”

“The first hero? I didn’t know there were others besides myself,” Link said lowly. His gaze turned down and his expression darkened. “Though, I don’t think I’m worthy of that title.”

“I can assure you that you are,” Sky announced confidently, feeling his spirits rise. “You’re a legend in my time.”

“You keep saying ‘my time’, what exactly does that mean?”

Time sighed and ran a hand through his hair, sending a painful ache through Sky’s heart at the memory of a younger person. “We’re from the future, bearing the same Spirit of the Hero as yourself. We can all wield the Master Sword and most of us have the Triforce of Courage. Hylia sent us to this time, though there are usually seven more of us.” Sky could hear the restraint in his voice, trying to keep himself from adding a biting remark. His eyes briefly flicked over to Sky in a silent apology before he continued. “I’m sure some of what I’m saying sounds slightly familiar?”

Link tapped his chin thoughtfully. “I don’t recognize the terms ‘Master Sword’ or ‘Triforce’, but I suppose what your saying makes sense. But I don't understand how there can be more heroes with the same spirit."

Sky felt the cold wrap itself around his heart and strangle it, squeezing tightly until it felt like it'd burst. His foot tapped constantly on the ground, gradually growing faster until Time noticed.

“Well, I think we should establish a nickname for you since both of us are also named Link and that would be a tad confusing." Sky breathed a sigh of relief, glad Time was changing the subject.

“Let’s just stick with First,” Sky replied.

First looked between the two of them, narrowing his eyes slightly in suspicion, before nodding. “Very well. Please consider my home yours, heroes. I have some chores to complete, but do take the time to rest or otherwise.” He stood from his seat, waved, and left, leaving Time and Sky to sit in silence.

“You know of him?” Time asked. Sky nodded and tilted his hand in a so-so sign.

“The records of him are... vague at best, and legend says he died in some sort of conflict at Skyloft's founding, but he’s here, alive and well. I just don’t know why the goddess would leave him behind on the surface.” Sky saw Time's expression sour, but he made no further remarks on the matter.

“Well, at least you know something. It's apparently a common theme that our adventures are forgotten over that ages," Time mumbled, looking distantly out the window at something that caught his eye. "I’ll ask him about it and see why-.”

“No!” Sky said suddenly, startling Time with his burst of energy. “S-sorry, but I can ask him myself.” _Maybe then I won’t be useless._

Time regarded him for a moment, his expression unreadable, before nodding and moving to stand. “Then I’ll go scout the area, see if there are any monsters nearby.” He opened the door and walked out, and Sky thought he could hear him say something about not wanting to waste any more time. 

Sky waited a few seconds before gathering up what little bit of energy he had and left the house, spotting First nearby chopping wood. He walked over to the new Link, watching the ax move up and down methodically and nearly falling asleep on his feet as he did when First spoke.

“Hero of the Skies,” he said, his voice airy like the wind. The title startled Sky. “You should rest. You've come a long way.”

Sky blinked away the urge to sleep and moved closer as First wiped the sweat from his forehead and began gathering the wood. “How’d you know my title?”

“Well, your nickname for one.” Sky’s ears turned red, making First grin. “But the spirit that resides within the sword also told me, albeit, reluctantly so.”

Sky’s eyes widened. “You can hear her?!”

“Hm, something of the sort.” He finished collecting the wood into a pile and looked at the nearby woods with interest. "We've met."

"Really? When?"

He titled his head to the side in thought. "In another lifetime. We were not as close as you two are now, though. But I suppose that's natural."

Sky pinched his brows together. That wasn't natural, at all. "Fi would never dislike anyone besides Demise and his minions." The name of the demon king left a bitter taste on Sky's tongue. First didn't respond, only grunting lowly before he  gestured for Sky to follow him down a small path through the woods.

“Tell me, what’s it like?”

“Hm?” Sky hummed, pushing leaves as he dragged his feet.

“The future, her kingdom, your land. Is it...” he hesitated, stopping briefly on his path before quickly continuing, “is it splendid?”

Sky couldn’t help the sleepy smile that grew on his face. “It is. Skyloft is... amazing. It’s my home and I’ll always love it.” Sky’s fingers graced the soft fabric of the sailcloth wrapped around his shoulders, reminding him of Sun “But beyond that, the surface is magnificent. Much larger than anything I could’ve dreamed of. And the futures I’ve seen on this adventure are...” They were a lot of things. Sometimes desolate, abandoned, dangerous, in ruins, flooded over, war-torn. But they were always, “amazing.”

First stopped a little ahead of Sky in front of a curtain of vines. He nodded in satisfaction before pushing back the foliage to reveal a field of golden grass that reached up to his hips, stretching as far as he could see, giving way to steep, snow-topped mountains that scrapped the bottom of the clouds. The sound of chirping birds and the calls of bugs filled the air as the pair stepped out, Sky forgetting his tiredness as he took in everything. 

“It’s beautiful,” Sky breathed, recalling the first time he’d touched the surface and some of the others’ Hyrules. He joined First in sitting at the edge of where the grass met the forest, watching each blade blow in the breeze. Like her hair, flowing behind her atop her loftwing, her smile as bright as the sun itself. Sky’s heart warmed as his fingers intertwined with the grass.

“I’m glad you think so,” First said quietly, his gaze longing. “I sometimes forget that not everything is as dreary as I see it.”

“Bad memories?”

First shrugged and leaned back on his hands. It was such a stark contrast to his usual, tense, formal demeanor. His face relaxed looked far younger than he’d originally seemed, almost as old as Legend if a few years older.

_ 'Then why does she let children fight in her wars?' _

Sky pushed away the thought as quickly as it came, but the golden reflection on his hands did seem to dull just a bit.

“I’ve lived my whole life down here, and while I don’t mind it, I sometimes wish...” he trailed off. “It doesn’t matter anymore. I’m here and they’re there.” Sky followed First's gaze to the shape of an island floating distantly among the clouds.  His breath caught slightly at the site of his former home. 

“Why don’t you join them?” Sky paused, considering the next question. "Why are you down here, alone?"

First’s huffed quietly, his fingers twitching for something on his hip that was hidden by his scarf.

“There was a war, against the demon king and his army. I knew they were coming, and I warned the goddess and her people years before the impending attack. But they wouldn’t listen.” He rubbed his wrists mindlessly as he recalled the story, his eyes a storm of emotion even though his voice was devoid of it. “I eventually helped fight them off, but the land was corrupted, and her grace took her people to safety, raising the land to create a new home above the clouds. And the rest is as they say,” he dropped his hands back to his side and looked up at the sea of blue above, “history.”

Sky dug his fingers into the ground. The first hero, his predecessor, the one person whose legacy he was meant to protect but somehow not only managed to ruin but completely destroy and subject others, children as he'd been reminded, to an even worse fate. Because Sky wasn’t good enough, he couldn’t make the right choices. Because he was hardly deserving of traveling with the others, who unlike him, hadn’t failed on such a catastrophic level. Everyone else succeeded in stopping their evil, an evil that shouldn’t even exist but did because of Sky. And evil that took countless lives across eons. And yet here he was, frolicking in the grass with someone who he dared called his mentor when all he’d done was fail everyone and march to the tune of a goddess who sometimes couldn't appear to care less.

“She left you behind?” He whispered.

“Yes.”

Sky felt his blood freeze. “Why?”

“Because she had to.”

The feeling that’d rooted itself in Sky’s stomach the night before twisted and tangled, scratching at the surface, begging to be let out. “Did she?”

First gave him a funny look, mouth twisting up slightly in confusion. “She is a follower of circumstance, not the initiator of destiny. Her grace is not all-powerful, no matter how strong or glorious she truly is. She is, however, all-loving,” He pulled the object hanging on his waist and held it in front of him, staring at it with distant regret, "but her duty is to her people, not individuals who are able to shape their fate with their own hands. Even if that fate is not one she'd have wished for."

Sky hummed, trying to process what’d he heard. Destiny, fate and choices, it wasn’t something he usually dabbled in. All he did was follow commands, save people, protect. Or at least try to, even if he always did ruin the last part. Anyone can wield a sword, but nobody should have to. And yet, they still do, even a millennia after Sky had fought for peace. 

“Sky, why do you call me a hero?”

He changed the direction of his gaze from the grass to the mask in First’s hands. He couldn’t see the whole thing, most of it was covered by the First’s hands, but he could spot a bright bit of blue peeking out from the top edge.

“Because that’s what you are.”

First stared at him hard, searching for something without his features changing. He sighed and closed his eyes, apparently having found his answer, and leaned closer to the Chosen Hero and placing a hand on his chest. Sky caught a glimpse of severe scarring on his wrists and wondered how he got it. Sky swallowed thickly and forced himself to look away, forcing the thought to leave.

“Perhaps once I was,” he whispered. Sky felt a warmth spread through his chest that felt familiar. “But I'm not sure if that title belongs to me anymore. It'd be best if you had it instead.” First hand fell to his side and he opened his eyes again. “For the trials that are to come will be arduous, but I know you’ll be able to conquer them. I grant you my blessing, the same one the goddess bestowed upon me many years ago, in the hopes that it will assist you.”

“T-trials? Blessing?” Sky stuttered, suddenly feeling more drained than he was before. “What... what’s that mean?”

First blinked and gave him a small, sad smile. When Sky heard his voice it was like he was listening to him through water.

“You’ll find out soon, my dear hero. Trust her, for she has never abandoned us, Trust yourself, for it is the one thing that will never abandon you.” He sighed heavily and brought the mask up to his face as Sky fell over, unable to move from sheer exhaustion. His vision grew dark and eyelids heavy, a dream like the one from before beckoning him forth.

**...simply a reflection of a reality you might not wish to see but must bear witness to... Do not worry Hero, soon you will wake and understand. **

━━━O━━━

Time slashed through the Moblin with such ferocity that he completely shattered its shield. He held his sword at the ready, growling at the monsters that approached him, and continued his endless battle. The rush of adrenaline and anger that fueled him was enough to allow him to plow through the enemy camp, taking on a massive hoard of monsters alone. The only thing he could see was-

_ Time’s hands shook over the boy who was lying lifeless in Sky’s lap. His own face, his younger self, Link from the Kokiri Forest. He was only 10- _

An arrow pierced his shoulder, but Time shrugged it off, tearing it out and performing a spin attack. He took out a great deal of the ones who were close enough to try and batter him. Time easily ducked out of the way of a swipe from one of the Bokoblins. They didn’t attack like the ones in his Hyrule, having rather precise patterns of defense and attack. Not that it mattered much, because Time simply swung the Biggoron Sword with all his strength, hearing-

_ He pushed open the door of the barn as slowly as possible, not wanting to disturb Sky as he slept. When he finally opened it enough, he saw the Chosen Hero sobbing into his precious sailcloth in his sleep, the Master Sword was thrown across the ground, out of its scabbard. Time swallowed and placed the blanket on top of the Hero, watching his body stop shivering and settle down, just a bit. The sword pulsed like it was trying to speak, but eventually dimmed, apparently giving up on trying to comfort her master- _

Time wasn’t paying attention when another Moblin kicked him hard in the ribs, sending him flying into a tree. He groaned, trying to push himself up with his sword, ignoring the black dots that formed in the corner of his vision.

**_ You’ll die out here. _ **

He grit his teeth and slammed the edge of the blade against the skull of the Bokoblins that got close. He nearly fell over, his balance gone.

**_ Will you really leave her behind again? Without saying goodbye? Without going back? _ **

Another arrow struck his thigh, forcing him to his knees. Time brought his shield up just in time to catch a club aimed for his head, pushing back the monster with all his strength, which was fleeting.

**_ You never properly apologized to him. _ **

Time paused at just the wrong moment. The closest bokoblin took the chance to stab its sword into his lower back. Time bit back a scream of pain, turning and killing the monster while having to limp backward and constantly block attacks. He fumbled for his pack, reaching inside and finding what he was looking for.

**_ I promise I’ll deliver you to him. He will not wait. _ **

The words sent a chill down Time’s spine but he ignored it. If this was the way to forgiveness, to seeing her again, then he’d take it. 

A shout and the sound of a slice cutting the air past his ear made Time look up. The camp was desolate, the monsters that were there just a second before lied dead at his feet. Panic gripped his heart as he quickly searched for a mirror, pulling it out and only breathing in relief when he saw his face was the same. No new markings, the mask sat quietly in hand, disappointment radiating from it. 

** Time. **

He snapped his head up, meeting a familiar blue gaze but not the same face. He crouched down in front of the older man, scanning him.

“H- how- how are you...” Time watched him close his eyes and bring his hand up to his chest. His wounds which were burning before dissolved into a soft ache, and the rage and energy left with the pain, leaving Time to slump over and struggle to keep his eyes open, the only thing fueling him enough to speak being his fear. “What are you?”

A sorrowful, ancient look passed over his features. 

** Something that shouldn’t exist, but does. **

Time opened his mouth to speak but found he couldn’t. His eye closed completely, with the last image of the red and blue markings of a deity on the face of another hero imprinted in his mind.

**_ Choices, little one, are all that you’ve ever had. If only you’d take them. _ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plot?? Mystery??? In my fic?? A miracle
> 
> This was originally supposed to be mostly from Time’s POV, but it makes more sense for Sky. I just needed to include the last part at the end so the next chapter makes more sense.
> 
> And if nothing changes, we're a little more than halfway through. So the pace is picking up


	6. Dreams: Nocturne

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Living in someone's else's memories rather than your own

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for: injury, blood, implied/referenced character death, imprisonment
> 
> These chapters just keep getting longer and longer
> 
> And Happy 35th anniversary!!

_My wrists were raw from the shackles that dug into my skin. The little bit of light that managed to reach through the bars of the tiny window facing the hallway flickered. A shadow passed by occasionally, and sometimes I could hear voices. Not the usual voice I’d been hearing for the past... I don’t even remember how long. But voices of people, the ones I promised to protect._

_And I am, by being kept prisoner here. She promised me I was, and her grace never lies. If she were, the voice would’ve said so. But it stayed silent when she commanded I be arrested, as did I. And yet it still whispers, even now, speaking of escape and freedom. Always sweet words, never threatening or harsh. Speaking in the same voice it did when it told me of the impending attack._

_I titled my head back against the wall, ignoring the pain in my joints. Everything ached at every moment, but if this is what it takes to save my people, to aid the goddesses, then I’m more than willing to endure. No matter how long she commands._

_~_

** _The right thing... what is it?_ **

_~_

_Their savior. After what was apparently five years, they opened the door and begged me to help them. To save them. I looked across the table at Orville, who’s head was bobbing up and down as he tried to keep himself awake. His sleepy gaze locked with mine._

_“Still awake?”_

_I couldn’t help but smile, even if it was slightly surprising my face was capable of such an expression anymore. “Of course.”_

_He grunted and planted his chin in the nook of his arms. “You should get some rest. The beds here are some of the best in the land.”_

_“I’m not tired.” I wasn’t really. While I’d been out of the cell for a week, my body still wasn’t used to the sleep cycle others tried to get me to fall into. And while_ _the constant pain had dulled to a throb, it was enough to make most movement difficult. That coupled with the steadily growing presence made sleeping hard. Orville hummed quietly and closed his eyes. I listened to his breathing even out._

_“Link,” he said, voice muffled by his shirt sleeve. “I’m sorry. I should’ve fought harder for you, or talked to the goddess, or... done something.”_

_I let my hand rest on his head and slowly carded my fingers through his hair, hoping it would dissolve some of the guilt from his face._

_“It’s alright. Nobody did anything wrong.” And I’d do it all again if it meant protecting you._

_~_

** _I wonder... if you do the right thing..._ **

_~_

_ I won’t leave you  , she spoke in my ear, filling my head with gold. I tried to shake my head, but the pain was agonizing. _

_“You must, your grace.”_

_Please, just Hylia. Please._

_It was a struggle to lift my arm, but I managed to wipe away her tears with what little strength I had left. It was hard to think straight with that damned voice muddling my thoughts. It was too loud, everything was too loud._

_“Hylia,” I whispered. I couldn’t speak much louder. I couldn’t think much more. “Go.”_

_Her breath shook and I felt her lips land on my forehead, but my vision was dark and unfocused. I could only see the shape of her, which was just as magnificent as her beauty._

_I will meet you again. I promise. Until we do, accept my blessing._

_I couldn’t make out her face, but I could feel the gentle ribbons of divine power embrace my spirit._

_So you will never lose the path you pave. In this lifetime or the next._

_She left. I closed my eyes, expecting the darkness and cold to overwhelm me, but something else entirely came._

_~_

** _Does it really make... everybody... happy?_ **

** **

** _What do you suppose, little one?_ **

━━━ O ━━━

Time snapped to attention, unaware he’d even fallen asleep. The markings on his face burned with a force he hadn’t felt in years. They felt fresh, and it sent a spike of fear through Time’s heart. He turned his head around and felt his heart calm when he spotted Sky sound asleep on the table. First was nowhere nearby, and moonlight shone through the window. Time rubbed his temples, trying to remember the last thing he saw before he passed out. He was somewhere in the woods, fighting monsters when-

He hurriedly reached for the mask in his pack and sighed when he found it tucked away safely.

_**You think so little of me**. _

_ Am I wrong to do so? _

It fell quiet. Time placed a hand on Sky’s back, feeling the rise and fall of his chest beneath his palm. Those dreams were something more, terrifyingly real. He ran a finger over his wrist, flinching before he did, pain still imprinted in his mind. The pain of another, First, and the feeling of something creeping, clawing, raging at the back of his mind was familiar enough that it didn’t startle Time, but the ferocity of it in his dream felt like he was wearing the mask again.

He exhaled tiredly and let his face rest on the table, keeping his waning gaze trained on the Chosen Hero. His eyebrows were pinched tightly and sweat collected on his forehead. Odd for someone who usually slept so soundly. Maybe he was having a nightmare...

**_ We will soon find out. _ **

━━━ O ━━━

_Fighting was all I knew and all I’d ever know. I thought I’d come to terms with it, years ago, before they locked me away in that fucking hell hole-_

_Sometimes, when I look up, I can see the island. Clouds framing its massive shape. When the sun rose just over the horizon, it would catch the light of one of the waterfalls just right, and a dozen rainbows would cast the sky in a myriad of colors. It was beautiful. And for a moment, it felt like I was whole again._

_The moblin screamed and lunged forward, but the stupid fucking monster wasn’t fast enough to avoid the sword, and I felt my heart soar as I cleaved clean through-_

_The house was coming along nicely. One of the Gorons helped collect enough wood to build it. Took him longer than he’d thought it would though. Something about a demon that lurked the woods at night. It was unsettling. I just hope no innocent lives are harmed, and if things continue, I suppose I’ll have to step in-_

_My head ached, constantly nowadays. I blinked away the stars in my sight and tried to look around and remember where I was. At the base of some mountain, far, far away from my house. Not good, considering the last thing I remembered was tilling the soil. I glanced down at my hand. It was smeared red._

_Laughter bubbled in my chest, but I stamped it down. Not now, I still have things to do. I raised my sword to the sky, collecting all of the energy and bringing it down in one massive stroke, decimating the camp. I bit back a smile. Not now. Just a little further._

_My- it’s sword swung and cut and crushed everything in its path, leaving behind razed earth and little else. The fields that were once bright green were turned brown and red, the lively forest abandoned. Everything and everyone had left, and the only one was me. Just me and whatever was controlling me. Less of me and more of it._

_A sudden force pushed away my breath and forced me to stop. To look._

_Hero, what have you become?_

_I looked down at my hands, soaked in blood that I knew wasn’t mine. The wilds surrounding me were silent in fear of what I’d do next._

_** I don’t know ** , I say in a voice that is no longer my own. I couldn't remember what I even sounded like or how I got here, wherever here was._

_Then I will have to remind you of who you were._

_I crumbled to my knees, the agony was too much to bear. The sword in my hand suddenly felt far lighter than the one it’d fashioned, my bones felt like they were compressing and crushing together, and my face was on fire. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, everything subsided to a dull throb, and I opened my eyes to find my own face staring back at me, a blank white gaze piercing my soul._

_“Why?”_

_Because we all deserve a second chance._

_I blinked up at the clouds for the first time in decades and saw them parting, spilling forth golden rays of light upon the battered land. Ghostly hands placed a familiar scarf around my neck, pressing a finger to my lips before leaving, retreating back into my soul. I grabbed the mask and traced a finger across the patterns._

_Once more, just one more time and things will be right._

━━━ O ━━━

_Nightmares plagued me every night, I couldn’t sleep, and I prayed Zelda wouldn’t be able to tell. But praying to your girlfriend who happens to be the goddess doesn’t always work. I didn't even realize she'd entered my room when she tapped my shoulder as I was bent over my latest work._

_“Yes?”_

_“Where are you?”_

_I sighed and turned around, trying to make my face look as bright as possible. “Right here,” I told her and grabbed her hand. Her expression was so filled with sorrow I wondered if I’d said something wrong._

_“No, you're not and you haven’t been for a long time.” She glanced at the carving on my desk and grinned a little. Forced herself to. “What are you making?”_

_I turned back to it and eyed it carefully. I... didn’t actually know. I was just doing something to make my hands busy and not let my mind wander, or rest. I didn’t need sleep or rest or relaxation, I just needed something to do, so I could feel useful for once. But I couldn’t tell her that, so I lied to Zelda for the first time in my life._

_“Fi.”_

_She cocked her head and narrowed her eyes slightly. I didn’t budge. Her chin dropped and let go of my hand._

_“Link.”_

_“Yes?”_

_When she looked back up, her eyes weren’t the usual sky blue. They were pools of liquid gold brimming with sadness and regret. My heart seized._

_Please forgive me._

_“I- I...”_

_ She let the tears fall down her cheeks.  No, I promised only one more time. I promised. _

_My voice felt like glass. “I’m sorry.”_

_For being late, for letting you suffer, for never being enough._

_She pulled me into a hug, but I didn’t deserve it._

_ ━ _ ━━ O ━━━

_“What’s eating at ya?” Legend asked. I didn’t even realize he’d been sitting next to me. I jumped a little at his voice. “Easy there, didn’t mean to scare the shit out of you.”_

_“It’s alright, I was just... lost in thought.” I had an idea, a horrible, stupid, idiotic idea that just might be dumb enough to get me killed. Or resented by everyone for the rest of our journey together. It wouldn’t be much of a difference though, just more hatred to add to what’s already there._

_“Can I tell you a secret?” Legend looked around secretly for a moment before leaning in, his face completely serious. “Swear you won’t tell anyone?”_

_“On my life, bird boy.”_

_I swallowed, unsure of what I was doing. But I needed to tell someone, anyone before I lose my mind from the weight of what I've been keeping from them. “The curse, the eternal curse on the hero’s spirit, is because of me. It’s my fault that everything has happened to you. Everything."_

_Legend stared at him, his expression unchanging, before frowning and shaking his head. “If it was your fault, I would kill you on the spot.”_

_“What’s stopping you?”_

_The veteran’s eyebrows furrowed in horror and confusion before morphing into a look of hurt. Of course, because that’s the only thing I can bring others, more and more endless pain and suffering. “Sky, I-“ he stopped and clenched his jaw. His eyes darkened as he looked down. “Its not your fault, and I don’t blame you for anything. Trust me, I- none of this is because of you. No one would ever think so.”_

_But I wish you would._

━━━ O ━━━

“What the fuck?” Time whispered as he woke up, his hand still on Sky’s back. He drew it back slowly, keeping his eyes on the sleeping hero. He swallowed hard and nearly stumbled over the chair as he moved to stand, slowly walking outside the house and struggling to breathe in the cool air. Time pressed a hand against the cabin wall, putting his entire weight against it, trying to force himself not to fall over.

**_ Such a troubled soul, her grace’s Chosen Hero. It truly is a miracle he hasn’t yet given up, though I suppose it’s only a matter of time. _ **

“Shut. The. Fuck. Up.” Time spat, his tone filled with rage. It fell silent, but he could still feel its quiet amusement. The older hero chewed on his lip and looked at the fresh grass around the crater and the edge of the woods. He wondered what it looked like before, if life had once again returned to the woods. If the hero ever found himself again.

“Rough dreams?” 

The sudden voice startled Time, who moved to unsheathe his sword. First held up his hands in surrender and approached slowly, his white hair shining in the moonlight and tunic spattered with red. It looked fresh. Time didn’t relax as he approached, tightening his grip around the hilt of the sword. First noticed, stopping abruptly while dropping his hands to his side.

“Who... what are you?” Time’s voice wavered with anxiety and anger and frustration. He was getting tired of everything, of never knowing what was happening and having to pretend like he does. First pinched his lips together and looked down in shame.

“I... I don’t know.”

Time regarded him for a long time, watching the way his fingers drummed his leg restlessly and his eyes shifting from place to place on the floor. His gaze rested on his wrists. The older hero inhaled deeply, before releasing his hand and letting it fall limp. First’s eyes widened in surprise, but Time didn’t turn to look at him, watching the center of the crater with burning intensity. His presence soon made its way to Time’s side, a sword's length away, standing nervously and shifting from foot to foot. Time looked up, hoping to gaze at the stars, but caught sight of the moon instead. He bit back a scoff.

“You’re... the Fierce Deity. Aren’t you?” He felt the younger man startle and shuffle away slightly.

“I haven’t heard that name in a long, long time,” he said distantly. He shook his head before stopping abruptly, grimacing in pain and staring into space. “But yes, I suppose I am in a way.”

“Care to explain?”

First bit his lip and nodded, unhooking a mask that was all to familiar to Time and holding it before him. “There was a being, once, whose power rivaled that of the goddess herself. But it was untamed, ferocious, not cruel but unmerciful. It needed to be stopped. And so it was, by a boy who wanted to be a hero and was willing to give everything to the goddess for nothing in return. Time passed, the boy grew, the being stayed quiet, sometimes even aiding the boy when he was most needed.

“But it’s power was immense and it frightened the people and the goddesses. So she ordered for the boy to be contained, to prevent its power from destroying everything. And so he was, years passed, and they called upon his power once again to battle an even stronger enemy.”

“Ganon?” Time asked. First raised an eyebrow.

“The demon king, Demise. The goddess and her people sought safety in the sky while the being held back the horde of monsters on the surface.”

Time’s heart dropped and the realization. “And... the mask?”

First placed his hand on his hips and inhaled deeply, looking far older than Time himself. “It is...” he paused, fiddling with the object. It was identical to the one he’d found in Termina. “The result of a goddess who often spreads herself thin, because of her undying love. A being with the strength of a god split in two, only fully united when worn. A blessing from the goddess, allowing me to stay... myself, even after everything.”

Time closed his eyes in an attempt to process everything. “I- I don’t think I understand.”

“Frankly, I hardly do myself,” First resigned, putting the mask away. “But it’s the reason I’m still here. It's the reason why I can no longer call myself a hero if I ever was one.”

“Is that why she left you behind?” Time clenched his fists as he waited for the answer he already knew was coming.

“I suppose.” His scarf flapped wildly behind him as the wind picked up speed. “Fate played its hand, she simply responded.”

“She left you to die.”

First huffed. “She left me to live.”

“She forced you to harbor that... thing, and then locked you away for five years,” Time said. “How could you defend her?”

“She did what she had to do.”

“But she had the choice to do differently,” Time said with venom.

“Any other choice would’ve been wrong.”

Time grit his teeth and snapped his head to First. “She forced you to suffer endlessly for her sake and then cast you aside when she deemed you useless.”

First’s face burned with passion but his voice stayed neutral. “She did everything she needed to protect her people and-“

“You are part of her people!” Time shouted, rage coloring his voice. “You are part of those she is meant to protect! But she never does anything to help us, to help you when you needed her most.”

“Then tell me,” First snapped, “would you take back all of the actions you took on your quest? Would you allow someone else to fill your role as hero, to take up the mantle?” 

Time drew back, forgetting to breath for a moment. “I- I-“

“Do regret saving your land?”

Time stared at him, speechless. He would never regret saving Hyrule, or defeating Ganondorf, or helping Zelda. He would never take a different path that lead him away from the princess, from Malon, from his boys, even if it meant he could live in peace for the rest of his life.

“I don’t.”

The younger hero searched Time’s eye, looking for his answer and nodding in satisfaction when he found it. He stepped a few paces back looking up at the sky expectantly. “Meeting a terrible fate carved by one’s own hands is better than living in blissful ignorance of a destiny you could never hope to control.”

First held out his hands and closed his eyes, an unnatural wind surrounding him, making his hair rise and fly and swirl around him, the white strands glowing against the darkness of the night. A golden light, bursting and sparking from his hands gradually appeared. First walked slowly over to Time.

“Keep this, Hero of Time, for when the night is at its darkest and the light is unseen.”

Time eyed it suspiciously. “What is it?”

“A blessing,” he responded, holding up to eye level, “from the goddess to me, and now to you. A gift to light your path, whatever you make it to be.”

Time sighed, holding out his hand in acceptance of it. The light transferred to his palm, warming it, before dissipating in a burst of sparks into the air. First smiled for what seemed like the first time outside of the dream. 

“Then I suppose that is all I’m needed for.” He turned on his heel and began walking back to the forest he’d emerged from.

“Wait,” Time said, stopping the young man in his tracks. He still didn’t know why anything was happening, why the goddess had sent him and Sky away from the others. If he wasn’t intended to kill monsters there, then what was the point? “What am I supposed to do?”

The smile didn’t leave his face as he responded. “Forgive, Hero, and live. You cannot do the latter without first forgiving.” He tapped his cheek and forehead. “Don’t let anger guide you, but do heed its advice. Age hardens a blade, and love tempers it.“

Time scowled a bit and rubbed his temples. “Do you always speak in riddles?”

First tapped his chin playfully. “They are only riddles for those who don’t see the choices before them.”

“Are you always this cryptic?”

That got a laugh out of First, which sounded like waves crashing down on a beach. It brought a small smile to Time’s lips, momentarily forgetting the mounting pressure that had just been bubbling in his chest at the revelation of the goddess’s abandonment of a hero she supposedly loved. Of a hero she failed.

“My dear hero, that is the one and the only thing that you can blame the goddess for.” The younger man winked and tossed his scarf over his shoulder before walking into the woods. “Till the next lifetime, when the flow of time is cruel enough to let us meet again,” he called back. But Time needed to know one last thing about his dream. He opened his mouth to call out-

**_ There is nothing more to say. _ **

“There’s so much more-“

It interrupted him with a mocking laugh.

**_Little one, those dreams were of a time long past, of a course that can no longer be changed._ **

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Time growled at the voice.

**_ It no longer matters. You clearly have yet to make a decision and until you do, nothing I or anyone else says will be understood. It was foolish to think you could ever change. _ **

He turned at the sound of the door slamming shut and saw Sky standing at the entrance, his eyes sporting even darker circles and looking especially red.

“Where’s First?” He shouted over the intense winds. They seemed strong enough to blow away the entire house and were in fact doing just that. Time looked behind him at the edge of the woods where First had been, but he had all but vanished. His hand felt drawn to his pack, and the voice of a fierce being, at the thought of a boy and his memories . 

“Gone,” Time responded. A portal suddenly appeared to their sides, pulling them in away from the violent wind. Time reached out for Sky’s hand, but the Chosen Hero jerked back at the contact.

“Sky,” Time began, but stopped when he saw the fear painted on his face. Fear and...

“It’s not your fault!” Time shouted over the wind. Sky froze, his hand shaking by his side. The portal’s pull grew exponentially stronger, and Time knew he didn’t have much time before they’d be dragged through separately. He needed to reach him.

“Sky!” He leaned forward, hand grasping for Sky’s, but the Chosen Hero made no move forward. He stayed paralyzed in place, his face haunted by ghost he’d hoped he buried, or at least hid far enough away that no one would ever see them. Time knew the look, and it was the last one he saw before being flung through the portal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK FIRST I SEE YOU
> 
> And look, its the passage that's in the summary!!

**Author's Note:**

> That’s it for now. Leave a comment and I’ll probably respond. Hope you enjoyed, I’ll (hopefully) see you soon. Thanks for reading!
> 
> I've got a tumblr that updates occasional fanfics, WIPs, and fanart. Check it out if you want or shoot me a message: http://zaypay.tumblr.com/


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